WEST UNION - A Hills farmer hopes the combine corn head that killed his son will save others.

Michael Stutsman died last November after being pinned underneath a corn head weighing about 6 tons. According to his father, Roger, the head fell while his son was trying to remove it from the combine in order to replace the machine's transmission.

"It was just a freak farm accident," Roger said. "You can't blame anybody."

Rescuers used inflatable airbags and a forklift to free Michael. The 33-year-old was airlifted to University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, where he died from his injuries.

People told Roger to get rid of the head - a constant reminder of the accident that killed his only child. Roger said the anguish he and his wife, Sally, have felt during the past year was "more than I've ever imagined."

Friend and fellow farmer Loran Steinlage, of West Union, wanted to ease the Stutsman's pain. After talking with Roger about the accident and batting around ideas to improve safety during harvest, Steinlage invented a combine header safety restraint.

"Roger said people would say, 'trade off the head to get rid of the memories,'" Steinlage said. "He said that wouldn't solve the problem. That (safety restraint) solved the problem."

On Friday, Steinlage and Stutsman took promotional shots of the device on different makes of combines to market to manufacturers. But they don't want any money. The goal is to sell a retrofit kit at cost to encourage every producer to install the device.

Steinlage said the restraint - brackets, safety chains and mounting hardware - costs about $50. Materials can be found at any farm store, and producers handy with a welder can make and install it themselves, Steinlage said.

"I came up with it, but (Roger) was the driving force," Steinlage said.

The restraint - one on each side of the hauler - makes it safer to transport and take heads on and off combines. It insures the head is always perfectly situated on the hauler and won't fall off. Safety chains are measured to make sure they're tight when the head is in the proper position.

Most new equipment have safety tethers to make sure heads are secure during transport. Most older equipment didn't have them. The men envision that header restraints will gain acceptance in the industry like ROPS - rollover protection structure - for tractors.

Without going into detail, Stutsman said not even the combine header safety restraint would have saved his son. But he believes the invention can help others and wants something good to come out of his family's tragedy.

"I believe if we can save someone else, it's worth it," Stutsman said, referring to the time and energy spent on the safety device.

He plans on using the family's notoriety to help promote the header restraint, like convincing farm equipment manufacturers to use or sell it and lawmakers to give farmers tax credits to encourage them to buy and install it. Besides farming 2,000 acres and raising cattle, Stutsman is part-owner of trucking, manure handling, fertilizer and chemical businesses.

Lee Olson, manager of Sumner Implement, said the device sounds intriguing. His family also owns John Deere dealerships in Waterloo and Waverly.

"Anything that protects people is a good idea," Olson said.

Today is the start of National Farm Safety and Health Week. Farming is one of the most dangerous professions in America. During harvest, the pressure to get the crop in before winter sometimes clouds a person's judgement, officials say.

The combination of dangerous, heavy equipment, speed and lack of sleep can be deadly. That's why taking advantage of all the safety equipment possible is important.

"Farmers need to be in the mind-set … to be careful all the time," Stutsman said. "It's a hard point to get across."

Besides helping fellow producers, the friends said working together is therapeutic. They met by chance last March while Stutsman was having breakfast in a Iowa City Hy-Vee and Steinlage was there as well. Steinlage's son, Rolan, is being treated for brain cancer at University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics.

The men started talking, shared life experiences and became friends. When in Iowa City for Rolan's treatments, the Steinlage's often visit Stutsman's farm and others in the area. The farm tours boost the 12-year-old's spirits.

"One day, I told him thank you," Steinlage said. "He said, 'No, thank you' for helping him through his tough situation. Helping Rolan was helping himself."